Jaguar has just revealed the first official photo of the new F-Pace crossover, the company's first ever SUV. We've seen it already in concept CX-17 form and as a heavily disguised prototype at major events such as the Tour de France (where it acted as the support car to the successful Sky racing team) but this is our first look at the real thing.
Kevin Stride, Jaguar Land Rover Vehicle Line Director: "2015 is Jaguar's 80th anniversary and it has been a monumental year of transformation for the brand. First, with the introduction of the innovative Jaguar XE and followed closely by the class-leading all-new XF. Today is a proud moment for Jaguar as we launch the F-Pace, our first performance crossover."
The F-Pace uses the same aluminium-intensive platform as the newly-launched XF and XE and will share those cars' 163hp and 180hp four-cylinder diesels as well as 300hp V6 3.0-litre diesel and supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrols in 340hp and 380hp forms - those latter models will be seen as potential foils to high-performance versions of the Porsche Macan and the Audi SQ5. Four-wheel drive will be an option on all models and it will have torque vectoring for extra agility.
It's quite a large car, 400mm longer than a Range Rover Evoque, although Jaguar has not yet said whether it will ever offer a stretched seven-seat version. The styling is very much in the current Jaguar idiom, with a broad radiator grille and narrow, slitty headlights. It forms part of a major investment programme by Jaguar, which is ploughing STG£3.5-billion into new models and new factories as it seeks to push its annual production volumes past the 200,000 mark.
It's also likely that the F-Pace won't be Jaguar's only SUV. If it sells as well as is hoped (and it will probably become the joint-best-selling Jaguar alongside the compact XE saloon) then Jaguar may well expand the range. There is already talk of a smaller model to compete with BMW's X1 and Audi's Q3, but a larger version could be problematic, treading as it would on sister company Land Rover's toes.
We'll find out more on the 15th of September when Jaguar officially launches the F-Pace to the public at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Until then, here's a video of the new F-Pace to keep us going.